Monday, February 29, 2016

This
is my monthly State of the Stack post. It is my way to keep track of my
review books and to hopefully reduce the stack that I have waiting for
me. I take a look at my review commitments on the last Monday of each
month. Please feel free to join in and let me know the state of your
stack.

Here is my Review Books Spreadsheet I list them in publication order and sort them by month. I can quickly see how many books I have for each date. Ideally, this keeps me from over-committing to review books. Check my spreadsheet to find out where I got each book.

I
also do this post because sometimes (frequently) review books sit on my
stack for a while before I read and review them. I try to read and
review books within two weeks of publication date. Sometimes I can't,
though, if too many books are releasing on the same date or if the book
arrives too near its publication date and my calendar is already full.

I am very grateful to the authors and publishers who support my reading habit.My Review PilePost Release

It’s
Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have
read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great
way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put
new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading...

This was midquarter's week. I spent the week hounding kids to turn things in, assessing and grading. Now I have to wait to see how many parents I hear from. Otherwise, the week was quiet with seasonable weather. Our snow is quickly melting away though we are expecting a bit more this coming week. I know that I am eager for spring and longer days.

Read Last Week

I finally read The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks. I had both an ARC and a finished copy for review. I enjoyed this graphic novel very much. I thought the art was excellent and the story had more meat than most graphic novels I've read. My review will be posted on March 23.

I got an excerpt from Rebel in the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton this week from Penguin's First to Read program. It contained the first three chapters of this fantasy and was enough that I went to Amazon to buy the book. I should be getting it on release day - March 8. My thoughts on the excerpt will be posted on March 2.

Currently

I am currently reading Winter by Marissa Meyer. I am savoring this chunkster as I get to reconnect with the characters from the earlier books. As I write this, I'm on page 370. I'm reading a couple hundred pages and then reading something else so that I can draw out the experience of finishing this story.

Description: The first book in a witty, suspenseful new trilogy about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever page-turner will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

My Thoughts: A teenage James Watson tells this story about his meeting with Charlotte Holmes at a Connecticut boarding school. He has always been fascinated by the idea of her and made up adventures that the two of them had together. After all, they are both the many times great grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

James doesn't want to be at that school. He was happy living with his mother and younger sister in London but the scholarship opportunity was too good to miss despite the fact that he will be living close to the father he has seen for a number of years. His father divorced his mother, remarried and now has two toddler sons. James hasn't forgiven his father for any of that.

Charlotte has been more or less exiled to the school to get her out of Great Britain. Her parents have distanced themselves from her because they are disappointed in her. She has been to rehab many times for using cocaine, heroine, and oxy. However, she is also brilliant and regularly consults with Scotland Yard to solve crimes.

When a student that both Charlotte and Jamie had run-ins with is murdered and it looks like they are being framed for the death, Charlotte and Jamie have to team up to find out the real killer.

This was a great mystery but an even better story about friendship. Jamie is determined to make Charlotte his friend no matter how much she tries to discourage him because he sees how badly she needs a friend. He has a very stubborn loyalty which is often tested through the events of this story.

Fans of mysteries and especially old or new fans of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this beginning to a new trilogy.

Favorite Quote:

But I had never wanted to be her boyfriend. I wanted something smaller than that, and far, far bigger, something I couldn't yet put into words.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

The first time I met her was at the tail end of one of those endless weekday nights you caoul only have at a school like Sherringford.

Friday 56:

Her hand tightened on my arm—in horror, I assumed. I didn't dare look over at her.

"This is Charlotte Holmes," I said quietly. "She's not my girlfriend."

This week I am spotlighting A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. I am a sucker for anything Sherlock Holmes so I had to download this eARC from Edelweiss. Here is the description from Amazon:

The first book in a witty, suspenseful new trilogy about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever page-turner will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Description: Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone
in a debut fantasy about a girl forced to use her gift for sensing—and
absorbing—other people’s feelings to protect the empire from assassins.
Steeped in intrigue and betrayal, Burning Glass captivates with heartrending romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s quest for redemption.

In
Riaznin, it’s considered an honor for Auraseers like Sonya—girls with a
rare form of synesthesia—to serve as the emperor’s personal protector,
constantly scanning for feelings of malice and bloodlust in the court.
But Sonya would rather be free.

After the queen’s murder and a
tragic accident, Sonya is hauled off to the palace to guard a charming
yet volatile new ruler. But Sonya’s power is reckless and hard to
control. She’s often carried away by the intense passion of others.

And
when a growing rebellion forces Sonya to side with either the emperor
who trusts her or his mysterious brother, the crown prince, Sonya
realizes she may be the key to saving the empire—or its greatest threat.

My Thoughts: Sonya is a young woman with a rare talent. She is an empath called an auraseer. All auraseers are property of the emperor and are trained to protect the emperor from threats. Sonya, however, wasn't found and brought for training when her empathy first manifested. Her parents gave her to gypsies to raise and hide from the emperor. She was found at seventeen and sent for training at a pretty crucial time for the empire.

The old emperor has died and the son everyone thought dead has taken the throne. Also, the new emperor's mother was recently poisoned to death and and the auraseer who should have spotted the threat was killed. Through a variety of circumstances, a barely trained Sonya now has the job of protecting the new emperor from threats.

She finds herself owned by a tyrannical young man who is also strongly charismatic. She has a very hard time not being swept up in his emotions. Luckily, the emperor has a brother who helps her cope. Of course, the brother is also trying to lead a secret revolution to overthrow the emperor and create a democratic government

The story was filled with tension and very graphically portrayed the situation of a young woman who feels everyone's emotions and is struggling not to be overwhelmed by all of them. She can even feel the emotions of animals killed for meat and clothing. She also finds herself torn between her duty to serve the emperor and her desire for her own freedom and freedom for all the oppressed people. Then there is the potential love triangle that is set up between Sonya and the two Imperial brothers.

Fans of epic fantasy with enjoy this first book in a new trilogy.

Favorite Quote:

He exhaled and pulled me closer. His hands traveled up the sides of my bodice and back around to weave through my hair. My heart opened. The stitches that bound my grief tore free. I'd wanted this for so long. Withing him, I felt the same sweet sense of release. Our auras entwined in a beautiful dance and affirmed the rightness of our union. I parted my lips and tasted him deeper. He was the mist in an evergreen forest, the reeds sighing into a river. My fingers curled around the nape of his neck. His warmth radiated sunlight through my body.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for. I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist though. Be warned!

The Last Time We Were Us

Leah Konen

May 10, 2016

It looks like May is going to be packed full of great sounding books. Here is the description of The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen:

A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend, and the small town lies that have kept them apart. Leah Konen’s The Last Time We Were Us is perfect for fans of Jenny Han, Sara Zarr, and Gayle Forman.

Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are finally getting invited to all the best parties, and, with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.

Then Jason Sullivan comes back to town. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd . . . and before he attacked Innis’s older brother and got sent away to juvie. All of Bonneville still thinks he’s dangerous, but Liz finds it hard to believe what people say about her childhood friend. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything.

But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out? Liz will have to decide if she can trust herself—and her heart—before it’s too late.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

"Forgive me," was all I could say against the sting of her dagger-sharp words. "Please forgive me."

This week my teaser comes from Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie. I got this fantasy from Edelweiss for review. Here is the description from Amazon:

Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone in a debut fantasy about a girl forced to use her gift for sensing—and absorbing—other people’s feelings to protect the empire from assassins. Steeped in intrigue and betrayal, Burning Glass captivates with heartrending romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s quest for redemption.

In Riaznin, it’s considered an honor for Auraseers like Sonya—girls with a rare form of synesthesia—to serve as the emperor’s personal protector, constantly scanning for feelings of malice and bloodlust in the court. But Sonya would rather be free.

After the queen’s murder and a tragic accident, Sonya is hauled off to the palace to guard a charming yet volatile new ruler. But Sonya’s power is reckless and hard to control. She’s often carried away by the intense passion of others.

And when a growing rebellion forces Sonya to side with either the emperor who trusts her or his mysterious brother, the crown prince, Sonya realizes she may be the key to saving the empire—or its greatest threat.

It’s
Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have
read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great
way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put
new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading...

I don't know where this week went. Monday at the Elementary was
crazy. To celebrate the completion of our new addition, the principal
hired a couple of DJs and all of the kids went to a dance party during
their "Specials" time. I spent the afternoon dancing with my students.
On the positive side, this is the first time this year that my Fitbit
registered over 10,000 steps. On the negative side, I didn't know it was
going to happen and it messed up my week's lesson plans.

I
also had two meetings this week that took up Tuesday evening and
Thursday late afternoon. I'm glad to have those meetings out of the way.
As a holdover from the crud I've had for a couple of weeks, I found
myself taking naps when I got home from school each day which really cut
into my reading time. I am feeling much better now and think I might be
able to stay awake all day today.

Next week is
midquarters. My sixth graders grades are all caught up and we have moved
on to a unit on Internet Safety. It is hard to believe that we are in
the middle of our third quarter already.Read Last Week

I read and loved Uprooted by Naomi Novik this week. I loved both the story and the language. My review will be posted on March 12.

The Inn Between by Marina Cohen was a very creepy middle grade book. While I figured out what was happening pretty early on, I still enjoyed the story and was eager to see the two best friends figure out what was happening. My review will be posted on March 17.

Currently

Despite the fact that I have a review stack I can't see over the top of, I am reading Winter by Marissa Meyer this week because I can't wait any longer to find out what happens in this conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles series.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Description: Heidi Heilig's debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City, to nineteenth-century Hawaii, to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father's ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility. Its witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, multicultural cast, and enchanting romance will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix's life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix's father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he's uncovered the one map he's always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix's mother died in childbirth. Nix's life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix's future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who's been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

My Thoughts: I'm not usually a big fan of time travel stories because I have difficulty accepting the paradoxes but this book is more believable than most. Nix has been traveling with her father and an eclectic crew on his sailing ship since he picked her up in Hawaii when she was an infant. He had left her mother, the love of his life, and sailed off to find fortune but, when he returned, he learned that she had died leaving an infant. Ever since, he has been trying to get back before she dies and save her.

The problem is that saving his wife could mean that Nix might never have been born. She is very worried about what would happen to her if her father's plans succeed. Luckily for Nix but not for Slate, they hadn't been able to find a map that will take them back to Hawaii in time to save his wife. Now, however, a new map has surfaced and her father is determined to own it and use it.

Most of this story takes place in Hawaii in 1884 which is where the map leads despite its 1868 date. The captain and crew find themselves mixed up in a plot to bring down the Kingdom of Hawaii. Nix also meets a woman who knew her mother and who seems to know quite a bit about the sort of time traveling that Nix and her father are capable of doing.

Nix also meets a boy. Blake Hart is the nephew of the mapmaker who created the 1868 map that Slate is determined to own no matter what the cost is to the Hawaii that currently exists. He is an artist and a strong supporter of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His father, however, is one of the key supporters of the plot to overthrow the current government. He and Nix have an 1880s sort of romance with him courting her. This causes a conflict for her because her deep friendship with a crewmate named Kashmir might also be turning into a romance. Kash is a fascinating character that the captain and crew picked up on one of their voyages to a legendary place. Kash is a thief and one of Nix's only agemates and friends on the crew.

I enjoyed this story. I liked the conflict that Nix has as she decides whether she can support her father's agenda or whether it is time to go off on her own adventures. Nix's fears about the captain's plans were realistically shown. Nix is at a turning point in her life and the tension shows in the story.

Fans of time travel and romance will enjoy this debut story.

Favorite Quote:

I met his eyes. "Hand drawn. Good detail. Dated. And new to us," I said, ticking off on my fingers. No matter how detailed a map, once we'd visited, we couldn't go back, and Slate didn't always remember where he'd been or what he'd done. Still, I'd only just bought the map, so I knew for certain he'd never used it.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

It was the kind of August day that hinted at monsoons, and the year was 1774, though not for very much longer.

Friday 56:

I winced when the door slammed, but the silence of his absence seemed louder still.

This week I am spotlighting The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. I got this eARC from Edelweiss. Here is the description from Amazon:

Heidi Heilig's debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City, to nineteenth-century Hawaii, to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father's ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility. Its witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, multicultural cast, and enchanting romance will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix's life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix's father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he's uncovered the one map he's always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix's mother died in childbirth. Nix's life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix's future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who's been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

I was a school library/media specialist for a small school district in Southeast Minnesota. I retired after 41 years in media centers in June 2017.
I love reading! My favorite genres are adult, YA and Middle Grade paranormals, science fiction/fantasy, and mysteries. I am also a fan of adult romances and romantic suspense.
I maintain two book blogs. Ms. Martin Teaches Media is used to blather about the YA books I read. Inside of a Dog is my home for the adult books I read.

NetGalley Badges

My Review Policy

Beginning January 1, 2012, I will no longer be accepting self-published books for review.

If I accept your book, I will agree to read, review, and post the review prior to the book's publication date only if I receive the book a minimum of 21 days before the book is published. Books arriving later than that will be reviewed as they fit into my review schedule.